Deadlines for Independent schools earlier than CAF?

[Amber]

Astonishing on so many levels. How the other half live eh.

[ToadMum]

Even meaner of an indie if its bursary place specifically acceptance deadline is before the state allocations will be notified, though. I wonder which group of applicants this would most affect...

[branmoment]

Just to clarify, all the Schools in the North London consortium (including MTS, Habs, CoL, St A etc) share the same deadlines. Bursaries and scholarships are Thursday 1st March and fee paying places are Monday 5th March.

[ToadMum]

Just to clarify, all the Schools in the North London consortium (including MTS, Habs, CoL, St A etc) share the same deadlines. Bursaries and scholarships are Thursday 1st March and fee paying places are Monday 5th March.

But specifically by noon on March 1st, when the eAdmissions system for the London boroughs appears not to release allocations until after the end of the school day? Or are the random ones I've read about on March 1st on the Forum the exception, and the vast majority have allocations available before school starts?

[Sla212]

The OP must have a v good idea if the QE score is good enough to get in with on March 1.

She will also presumably know if the scholarship offered makes going to the Indie feasible....if the scholarship was what made the difference. That's something you can work out immediately.

The OP has said that her son did very well at QE so one could assume that this is not a child on 220-230 ie, borderline.

Being in receipt of a scholarship or bursary is a v different position to simply being offered a place.

[Sla212]

Ok little bit of a dilemma...we have deadlines for an Inde by 1st March at 12noon. However CAF outcomes come out on the same day but in the evening! Really scared that if I leave it too late I may lose a place at Inde school. On the otherhand, if I wait it out who knows how our grammer school places were allocated this year. Do you think it's worth contacting the Inde asking for a day extra?

Have you actually contacted your Indie school?

MTS website states March 1, no time is given....do you have a letter stating midday?

[Choco]

If you contact any of the schools in question and say that the State school offers appear on the eve of 1st March and you would like to know all your options before accepting or declining, so until 2 March or a day or so later, I cannot believe anyone will tell you that you can't have that time.

It is ridiculous if the deadline is set before you have the full info. However, just phone up confidently and perhaps ask if they are aware that the state school offers always come out on 1 March. I guess you don't want to be snippy with them about it, because you want a 'yes' and I'm pretty sure you will get a 'yes'. I just wonder if these schools are very worried about not filling and losing people to the Grammars. It doesn't sound like the actions of the top schools who accept they are second choice and some candidates would prefer the free grammar if they can get it. The way to handle that is to be willing to offer big bursaries and scholarships, not to make the deadline impossible.

Round here, a huge group of independent schools co-ordinate their offers day for 9 Feb (this year) with acceptances due on 5 March, understanding that people do apply in both sectors and they will get more accurate answers if they allow them time to consider all options.

[Guest55]

I'm sure this is totally deliberate and imho to make those who need bursaries decide before they get their state school offer tells me a lot about the pastoral care ... the schools are putting their business interests first.

[persereving18]

Thank you all for your invaluable advice. I only received a short email from MT with a brief acceptance. Full details are to be sent in the post. Habs however, sent their post early. DS qualified for academic scholarship and partial bursary so I assume that is why they have made the 1st of March noon deadline. Again I stress it is definitely 12noon ( they have put this in bold). This is my first child going to secondary so I am just trying to be tactful.
QE I am very keen on...but who knows what could happen this year. I think I will contact the schools and request atleast a further 24hrs!

[Daogroupie]

I have bumped up the QE results breakdown thread so you can read through the 32 pages of posts.

You can check out your QE score and where it would leave you on allocation day for the past five years so you can have a clear idea of what has happened.

If you would choose QE if you got a place on 1st March then you may well be pretty much home and dry already.

The data shows that 231 and above has got in on allocation day every year for the past five years. DG